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This mathematician-author is attempting the near impossible: explaining complex math using hardly any equations or words.
In graphic novel format, he tries to help the reader understand infinity by visualizing colourful images. The book begins when the author explaining what sets are--visually, with playing cards, cats, and pancake spatulas with faces. He does this to introduce the reader to the concept of nothing. It is one thing to say that nothing exists and quite another to say that NOTHING exists. The mathematical concept for nothing is the empty set.
Then the author segues into infinite sets by drawing a picture of a crocodile with braces and a shark with more than aleph nought (0) teeth. There are graphs in that section. By mid-book, he is explaining the Cantor Diagonal Argument and binary strings using art galleries and fingertips. Axioms and an infinity explanation wrap-up the book.
The author states this colorful book “requires no specialized background” and “is suitable for advanced middle school students to inquisitive adults.” I fall into the inquisitive adult catergory and I couldn’t understand the concepts in this book. (I did love the quote about nothing, though). And the abstract illustrations didn’t help me understand the text.
Although most of the concepts weren’t computing in my brain, this book will make an incredible present for a friend of mine. He is a high school math teacher and a huge graphic novel fan.
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Tanya Boudreau/2017 for curled
up with a good kid's book |
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For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews,
visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)
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Gallery of the Infinite